Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. Hebrews 13:9

Amen to that! As you may have surmised from some of the things I write, I am not big on ritual; especially rituals designed by man, which is basically all rituals. Jesus came to absolve us of those things, allowing us to please God by loving Him and not by the things we do. We are saved by grace, not by works, and certainly not by rituals.

Some religions have taken from the Old Testament and invented some of their own, which could be included in the strange teachings mentioned in today’s verse. Some of today’s religious leaders come up with things they try to persuade their followers to do, insisting those things are essential to living a “Christian” life and obtaining eternal life. I don’t think so! (And, that’s stating my reaction mildly.)

I believe in keeping it simple. God gave us the gift of His son; He gave us grace; He gave us love beyond measure; He gave us faith, hope, freedom from fear, and peace. He gave it all to us, and the only thing He asks in return is that we love Him.